Introduction of early childhood
HEAD of Department for Educational Psychology, Sociology and Special Education at the University of Zambia Dr Beatrice Matafwali has applauded government for putting Early Childhood Education at the centre stage of the education agenda.
In a profile interview, Dr Matafwali says the move to annex early childhood education in primary schools, deployment of at least 1000 teachers trained in early childhood education, and the implementation of the early childhood education curriculum framework is phenomenal in the history of education in Zambia.
"These efforts are a clear demonstration that Zambia is making strides towards the attainment of the Education For All (EFA) goals. Inclusion of children with Special Educational Needs and those in the 0-2 year age bracket who are currently underrepresented in the early childhood education discourse requires also urgent attention. To ensure holistic development of the child, implementation should also take an integrated approach by including health and nutrition in the ECE programmes," says Dr Matafwali.
Dr Matafwali also strongly supports the introduction of local languages as the medium of instruction to pupils in grades one up to four.
"I found that children who are less familiar with the language in which reading is practiced have lower quality representation of word forms, and hence, their development of word recognition is less advanced compared with pupils who are familiar with the language that is utilised to practice reading. I also found a statistically significant difference between Grade 1 and 2 in reading words with Grade 1 being superior to Grade 2 performance, implying that children performed better on word reading when they practiced to read in the local language under the New Breakthrough to Literacy (NBTL) than when they shifted to English (SITE) in Grade Two," she says.
"… the one year exposure in the local language of initial literacy (NBTL) is not sufficient for children to acquire Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP) required for them to adequately benefit from classroom instruction. An early exit from the local language (L1) to English (L2) can be a recipe for reading failure."
On her PhD findings, Dr Matafwali reveals: "From the practical point of view, her findings are in full support of the local language medium of instruction in the initial stages of literacy development. One of my recommendations was that the teaching in a familiar Language be extended to three or four years as this would be consistent with the practice in other countries in Sub Saharan Africa: Malawi, Namibia, Rwanda, and Tanzania. Therefore, the new language policy where the local language is promoted in the first four years of schooling is timely for Zambia; this is a progressive pedagogical move. This is the practice in many countries not only in Africa but in the world. Learning in the local language provides the language buffer which acts as a tool kit upon which children rely to benefit from classroom instructions. However, there is need to consider introducing more local languages in the curriculum as this will provide many children an opportunity to be taught in a familiar language. There is also need to invest in the production of teaching and learning materials in the local languages and in the training of teachers. While the argument that some children are more familiar with English than the local language is valid, majority of Zambian children fall in the lower economic bracket and these use local languages in their homes."
Below is the profile interview we had with her:
Q: Very briefly tell us about your family background.
A: I was born in 1976 in Samfya District, Luapula Province to Prisca Mubanga and Alexander Matafwali, a former headteacher. My father is from Samfya and my mother is from Chief Kasomalunga, in the newly created Lunga district. I am the seventh born in a family of nine. I have two sisters (Roydah and Marien) and six brothers (Wilbroad, Wilson, Tresphord, Ignitius, Emmanuel and Mike). My mother and two of my brothers (Wilbroad and Mike) have since passed away. My other siblings are working as civil servants in various ministries. My father served as head teacher at a number of primary schools in Samfya district and my mother worked as an assistant teacher for some time. I have a beautiful daughter by the name of Bwalya Katuta. She is currently doing her first year at the University of Zambia in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences.
Q: Your education background?
A: I did my primary education at a number of schools in Samfya district because my father moved schools in that period. I started my Grade One in 1982 at Kaongwe Primary School, did Grade Three and Four at Twingi Mission Primary School, Grade Five at Kabanga Primary School, and Grade Six and Seven at Njipi Primary School. I then proceeded to do my Secondary Education at Samfya Secondary School in 1989 and completed my Grade Twelve in 1993. I was admitted to the University of Zambia in 1995 to pursue a Bachelor of Arts with Education degree but withdrew with permission and resumed studies in 1996. Being admitted to the University of Zambia was a big achievement in my life because at that time it was rare that girls from Samfya Secondary school qualified to the University. I completed my undergraduate degree programme in 2001 and graduated in 2002 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree with Education. It took me close to six years to complete my undergraduate programme due to many disruptions in the academic calendar at UNZA, resulting from unplanned closures of the institution. Upon completion of my Bachelors Degree, I was offered a position as a Staff Development Fellow in the Department of Educational Psychology, Sociology and Special Education.
Q: What motivated you to study Special Education?
A: When I came to UNZA, I did not know anything about Special Education because the programme was relatively new so in first and second year, I did Psychology, Religious Studies, History and EAP 111(a foundation course for first year students in the School of Education). However, there was a component on Special Education in EAP 111 which was taught by the late Dr Kalabula. It was from there that the interest to take Special Education as my major started. I was in the third cohort of the Special Education programme. I worked hard and I was given an award in Fourth Year for being the best student going into final year of study in the Special Education Programme. My tuition fees in that year were paid for as part of the award. A number of lecturers were instrumental in my undergraduate studies; Dr. Kalabula, Dr Phiri (current Minister of Education), Dr Siamwiza, Dr Chakulimba and Dr Cheyeka. These inspired me to work hard.
Q: Where and when did you read for your Masters and PhD degrees?
A: I did my Masters and PhD degrees at UNZA although the PhD was a sandwich programme with Leiden University in the Netherlands. I enrolled for my Masters degree in August 2003 and graduated in July 2005 and I was appointed as Lecturer. I then enrolled for my PhD programme in July 2006 and graduated in August 2010. Initially enrolling for the PhD programme shortly after my Masters was not my plan but it so happened that barely a week after my graduation, Professor Robert Serpell, then Vice Chancellor of UNZA, introduced me to Professor Adriana Bus from Leiden University-Netherlands who was in the country on a private visit. Professor Serpell had shared the topic for my Masters dissertation with Professor Bus, so she invited me for a discussion one evening. She then extended the invitation for me to go to the Netherlands to work on my PhD proposal in November 2005. I submitted the proposal to Nolle Nauta Foundation for funding and I was fortunate to be given a scholarship. Professor Serpell came to know about the topic for my Masters Dissertation when I worked as a research assistant on a Yale project which he was coordinating as Vice Chancellor in 2004 because literacy is his area of interest. He is one of those people who have provided a lot of mentorship in my career path and I am very grateful for that.
Q: What was the focus of your research at these two levels?
A: The focus of my research at Master level was on reading difficulties. My topic was titled "Nature and Prevalence of Reading Difficulties in Grade Three." Children were drawn from selected schools in Lusaka. My study revealed low reading levels among Grade Three pupils and most of the children had difficulties with phonemic awareness. I was intrigued by the poor performance in basic reading skills by majority of the children in my study and it was from this background that I sought to establish the underlying factors behind the low literacy levels in Zambia. Thus, at PhD level, I focused on "The Role of Oral Language in acquisition of Early Literacy Skills". My proposition was that oral language was a potent predictor of literacy skills and if children lack proficiency in oral language they would face significant difficulties learning to read. I followed up a cohort of children for two years, from Grade One through to Grade Two. Children were assessed in the initial language of instruction in Grade One and in English in Grade Two. The study revealed that development of reading is influenced by oral language skills independent of effects through alphabetic knowledge. The outcomes confirmed the hypothesis that low levels of understanding material that is used to practice reading may delay the development of both graphophonological and lexicosemantic routes that are required for accurate and fluent word recognition.
The experience at both Masters and PhD levels was exciting because it was a period of discovering new knowledge. I came across various theories th
In a profile interview, Dr Matafwali says the move to annex early childhood education in primary schools, deployment of at least 1000 teachers trained in early childhood education, and the implementation of the early childhood education curriculum framework is phenomenal in the history of education in Zambia.
"These efforts are a clear demonstration that Zambia is making strides towards the attainment of the Education For All (EFA) goals. Inclusion of children with Special Educational Needs and those in the 0-2 year age bracket who are currently underrepresented in the early childhood education discourse requires also urgent attention. To ensure holistic development of the child, implementation should also take an integrated approach by including health and nutrition in the ECE programmes," says Dr Matafwali.
Dr Matafwali also strongly supports the introduction of local languages as the medium of instruction to pupils in grades one up to four.
"I found that children who are less familiar with the language in which reading is practiced have lower quality representation of word forms, and hence, their development of word recognition is less advanced compared with pupils who are familiar with the language that is utilised to practice reading. I also found a statistically significant difference between Grade 1 and 2 in reading words with Grade 1 being superior to Grade 2 performance, implying that children performed better on word reading when they practiced to read in the local language under the New Breakthrough to Literacy (NBTL) than when they shifted to English (SITE) in Grade Two," she says.
"… the one year exposure in the local language of initial literacy (NBTL) is not sufficient for children to acquire Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP) required for them to adequately benefit from classroom instruction. An early exit from the local language (L1) to English (L2) can be a recipe for reading failure."
On her PhD findings, Dr Matafwali reveals: "From the practical point of view, her findings are in full support of the local language medium of instruction in the initial stages of literacy development. One of my recommendations was that the teaching in a familiar Language be extended to three or four years as this would be consistent with the practice in other countries in Sub Saharan Africa: Malawi, Namibia, Rwanda, and Tanzania. Therefore, the new language policy where the local language is promoted in the first four years of schooling is timely for Zambia; this is a progressive pedagogical move. This is the practice in many countries not only in Africa but in the world. Learning in the local language provides the language buffer which acts as a tool kit upon which children rely to benefit from classroom instructions. However, there is need to consider introducing more local languages in the curriculum as this will provide many children an opportunity to be taught in a familiar language. There is also need to invest in the production of teaching and learning materials in the local languages and in the training of teachers. While the argument that some children are more familiar with English than the local language is valid, majority of Zambian children fall in the lower economic bracket and these use local languages in their homes."
Below is the profile interview we had with her:
Q: Very briefly tell us about your family background.
A: I was born in 1976 in Samfya District, Luapula Province to Prisca Mubanga and Alexander Matafwali, a former headteacher. My father is from Samfya and my mother is from Chief Kasomalunga, in the newly created Lunga district. I am the seventh born in a family of nine. I have two sisters (Roydah and Marien) and six brothers (Wilbroad, Wilson, Tresphord, Ignitius, Emmanuel and Mike). My mother and two of my brothers (Wilbroad and Mike) have since passed away. My other siblings are working as civil servants in various ministries. My father served as head teacher at a number of primary schools in Samfya district and my mother worked as an assistant teacher for some time. I have a beautiful daughter by the name of Bwalya Katuta. She is currently doing her first year at the University of Zambia in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences.
Q: Your education background?
A: I did my primary education at a number of schools in Samfya district because my father moved schools in that period. I started my Grade One in 1982 at Kaongwe Primary School, did Grade Three and Four at Twingi Mission Primary School, Grade Five at Kabanga Primary School, and Grade Six and Seven at Njipi Primary School. I then proceeded to do my Secondary Education at Samfya Secondary School in 1989 and completed my Grade Twelve in 1993. I was admitted to the University of Zambia in 1995 to pursue a Bachelor of Arts with Education degree but withdrew with permission and resumed studies in 1996. Being admitted to the University of Zambia was a big achievement in my life because at that time it was rare that girls from Samfya Secondary school qualified to the University. I completed my undergraduate degree programme in 2001 and graduated in 2002 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree with Education. It took me close to six years to complete my undergraduate programme due to many disruptions in the academic calendar at UNZA, resulting from unplanned closures of the institution. Upon completion of my Bachelors Degree, I was offered a position as a Staff Development Fellow in the Department of Educational Psychology, Sociology and Special Education.
Q: What motivated you to study Special Education?
A: When I came to UNZA, I did not know anything about Special Education because the programme was relatively new so in first and second year, I did Psychology, Religious Studies, History and EAP 111(a foundation course for first year students in the School of Education). However, there was a component on Special Education in EAP 111 which was taught by the late Dr Kalabula. It was from there that the interest to take Special Education as my major started. I was in the third cohort of the Special Education programme. I worked hard and I was given an award in Fourth Year for being the best student going into final year of study in the Special Education Programme. My tuition fees in that year were paid for as part of the award. A number of lecturers were instrumental in my undergraduate studies; Dr. Kalabula, Dr Phiri (current Minister of Education), Dr Siamwiza, Dr Chakulimba and Dr Cheyeka. These inspired me to work hard.
Q: Where and when did you read for your Masters and PhD degrees?
A: I did my Masters and PhD degrees at UNZA although the PhD was a sandwich programme with Leiden University in the Netherlands. I enrolled for my Masters degree in August 2003 and graduated in July 2005 and I was appointed as Lecturer. I then enrolled for my PhD programme in July 2006 and graduated in August 2010. Initially enrolling for the PhD programme shortly after my Masters was not my plan but it so happened that barely a week after my graduation, Professor Robert Serpell, then Vice Chancellor of UNZA, introduced me to Professor Adriana Bus from Leiden University-Netherlands who was in the country on a private visit. Professor Serpell had shared the topic for my Masters dissertation with Professor Bus, so she invited me for a discussion one evening. She then extended the invitation for me to go to the Netherlands to work on my PhD proposal in November 2005. I submitted the proposal to Nolle Nauta Foundation for funding and I was fortunate to be given a scholarship. Professor Serpell came to know about the topic for my Masters Dissertation when I worked as a research assistant on a Yale project which he was coordinating as Vice Chancellor in 2004 because literacy is his area of interest. He is one of those people who have provided a lot of mentorship in my career path and I am very grateful for that.
Q: What was the focus of your research at these two levels?
A: The focus of my research at Master level was on reading difficulties. My topic was titled "Nature and Prevalence of Reading Difficulties in Grade Three." Children were drawn from selected schools in Lusaka. My study revealed low reading levels among Grade Three pupils and most of the children had difficulties with phonemic awareness. I was intrigued by the poor performance in basic reading skills by majority of the children in my study and it was from this background that I sought to establish the underlying factors behind the low literacy levels in Zambia. Thus, at PhD level, I focused on "The Role of Oral Language in acquisition of Early Literacy Skills". My proposition was that oral language was a potent predictor of literacy skills and if children lack proficiency in oral language they would face significant difficulties learning to read. I followed up a cohort of children for two years, from Grade One through to Grade Two. Children were assessed in the initial language of instruction in Grade One and in English in Grade Two. The study revealed that development of reading is influenced by oral language skills independent of effects through alphabetic knowledge. The outcomes confirmed the hypothesis that low levels of understanding material that is used to practice reading may delay the development of both graphophonological and lexicosemantic routes that are required for accurate and fluent word recognition.
The experience at both Masters and PhD levels was exciting because it was a period of discovering new knowledge. I came across various theories th